TRACK & FIELD CENTRAL: Alabama Relays

Live video streaming for the John Mitchell Alabama Relays will be available on Friday and Saturday through SEC Network +, the online, digital component of the SEC Network. Friday coverage begins at 6 p.m. ET while Saturday's gets underway at 3 p.m.
To access Friday's coverage on SEC Network + click here and log in using your cable or satellite account information. Saturday's coverage can be accessed here. Fans can also watch on a mobile device or tablet by downloading the WatchESPN app.

Tennessee will send 20 members of its men's squad to open the 2015 outdoor campaign at the John Mitchell Alabama Relays in Tuscaloosa. Those individuals will compete across 11 events over the weekend, including the DMR and 4x200 relays.
Deon McAdoo and Carson Frost kick off the weekend for UT in the men's hammer throw on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET.
Redshirt junior Kyle Quinn is slated to make his debut in the men's javelin throw on Friday. Last year he set the nation's top mark in the event with a personal best of 256 feet, 10 inches (78.28 meters).
Tavis Bailey is set to make his entrance in the men's discus throw on Saturday afternoon, one season removed from earning first team All-America status in the event. He will be joined by true freshman Matthew Zajac, making his first career appearance in the Orange and White.
Fresh off a NCAA silver medal at the Indoor Championships last week, All-American Jake Blankenship will compete in the pole vault on Friday. Joining Blankenship in the competition are redshirt seniors Tyler Porter and Michael Maira. Porter missed last season due to injury.

Ten athletes will be representing the Tennessee women's squad in Tuscaloosa this weekend, competing across 12 events.
Returning All-American Felecia Majors will have a busy weekend on her hands as she is scheduled to compete in the 4x200-meter relay on Friday as well as the women's long jump, 400 meters, and 4x400-meter relay on Saturday.
Felicia Brown, a 2014 second team All-American in the 200 meters will compete in the 4x200-meter relay as well as the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay.
In the throws, 2014 outdoor and 2015 indoor shot put All-American Cassie Wertman will take part in Friday's shot put competition as well as Saturday's discus throw.
Other notables include: freshman Cidae'a Woods competing in the 100-meter dash, triple jump, high jump, and long jump; and Erin Champion in the women's pole vault.

Tennessee closed out the 2015 indoor season with a strong outing at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
With 11.0 points, the 14th-ranked Tennessee men finished in 17th place over the weekend. The UT women tied for 38th with 5.0 points.
Jake Blankenship earned an NCAA silver medal in the pole vault after clearing a lifetime best 19 feet, 0.25 inches (5.80 meters) on Friday night. For his efforts, he earned first team All-American honors.
Also on Friday night, Chelsea Blaase came in fourth in the women's 5000 meters with a career-best time of 15:47.52. She earned five valuable points for the women's squad as well as first team All-American recognition.
Rounding out Tennessee's first team All-American selections, Christian Coleman became the first UT sprinter to score in the men's 60-meter dash at the NCAA Championships since 2008 when his 6.62 earned him sixth place. He was also the first UT freshman to score in the event since Justin Gatlin in 2001.
Also taking home All-American honors over the weekend were Tavis Bailey (2nd team, weight throw), Cassie Wertman (2nd team, shot put), and Cameron Brown (honorable mention, weight throw).

First-year director of track and field/cross country Beth Alford-Sullivan looks ahead to the upcoming Alabama Relays and the 2015 outdoor season:
On the weekend's competition: "We're excited to be in this position where we're turning it around from the Indoor Championships ending where we had a great experience to jump full steam ahead into the outdoor season. The squad leaves Wednesday to head down to Alabama and get the season opened up with a great opportunity to get it going early. We'll look at this as a slight rust-buster. It's spring break; we'll be training through and people will be getting a lot of good workouts in this week as we look to move outside full time."
On the slate for the first month of outdoor season: "We really start to roll through the month of March. We'll look to open up pretty heavily as our throwers and pole vaulters head to the Texas Relays and the rest of the squad goes to the Raleigh Relays. As April approaches we should be coming into form in that first part of it. We're very excited this year to host the Tennessee Relays Powered by Sea Ray and to have a home experience for our fans to be able to see us in action personally."

Tennessee will send two groups in opposite directions next week as one Volunteer squad heads to the Texas Relays on March 25-28, while another travels to the Raleigh Relays on March 26-28.

University of Tennessee Athletics